Elevator of the rigid-yoke type



Feb. 9 1926. 1,572,616.

- R. E. MOHNKERN ELEVATOR OF THE RIGID YOKE' TYPE Filed May 24, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 u fmmm mt i lllfl lllllllglmn I Feb. 9,1926.

. R. E. MOHNKERN ansvxrox OF THE R'IGID YOKE TYPE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 24, 1923 m2: mukzuu i HUEL E. MOHNKE'RN INVENTOR.

Patented Feb. 9, 1926.

UNITED STATES PAT v 1,572,616 ENT OFFICE.

RUEL E. MOHNKERN, OF OIL CITY, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELEVATOR OF THE RIGID-YOKE TYPE.

Application filed May 24, 1923. serial -1\To.. 641,099.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, RUEL E. MoHNKJcRN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oil City, in. the county of Venango and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in The object of this invention is, to provide an elevator for pipe and other tubular elements of like nature, which is simple in construction and operation and which may be cheaply manufactured by reason of the small amount of. machine work and other labor required in its construction.

An additional object is, to provide an efficient, safe, strong and easily operated elevator for use especially in connection with the tubular equipment of oil wells.

The construction of my improved elevator is clearly shown in the accompanying dran ings in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my improved elevator, showing a short section'of tubing having a coupling or collar in position thereon, the latch-levers being shown in the tubing-retaining position.

Fig. 2 is a plan view, somewhat enlarged as compared with Fig. 1, and showing both latch-levers in their inoperative, or, tubingreleasing position. Fig. 3 is a plan view of my improved elevator showing the tubing in position therein with the latch-levers in the tubing retaining position.

F ig. l is a vertical section of one side of the elevator on line IV of Fig.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of one of the latch levers employed in my improved elevator.-

My improved elevator belongs to the class known as solid-yoke, double-bail elevators and is so constructed that its collar-engaging feature serves to lift and sustain the weight of the engaged tubular element and also to maintain the interengaging of said yoke and said element when said element is being hoisted, or carried in a vertical position, or an approximately vertical position. At times, however, especially in the operation of pulling the tubular equipment of a well,'the tubing or casing,

shown in transverse co1lar-engaging, 1

vertical position and may deviate therefrom at any angle tothat of the horizontal, as hereinafter described, and at the time of. such deviation it might be possible for the elevator to move longitudinally of the tubing suiiiciently for the collar to be withdrawn from the engaging feature of the yoke. It is, therefore, necessary to provide some means which will, in case of such disas the case, may be, isnot in a a engagement, still retain the yoke of the elel vator in its service relation to and in engage ment with its load, and for this purpose elements termed latch-levers are provided.

The construction of my improved elevator, thus broadly outlined, and clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings is substantially as follows: Tht body or main member proved elevator, which is termed the yoke, is of U-shaped conformation, the gap or opening of which is formed by walls consisting of a rear, semi-circular portion 2 and continuing from each side thereof isv a straight, parallel side portion 3, 3. The center radius 1" for said semi-circular portion 2 is in the center line of said Fig. 2, and the inner opposing faces of said walls 3 extend at a right angle to said center line. The width of the gap thus formed is slightly greater than the outside diameter of the tubular element upon which the elevator is designed to operate, said tubular being section in Fig.3, also in elevation in Fig. 1 and is indicated by thereference numeral 4. For the purpose of reception,engagement,

lateral retention and support ofa. collar 5,

said yoke a partially walledsocket, the side.

or. vertical wallsG of which are circular and have the radius 1/ and are concentric with but of greater diameter than the portion 2 of the wall of said gap; said walls 6 are straight, vertical walls arranged in parallel relation to the axis of the yoke and the rear portion of said gap, and, as shownin Fig. 1, said socket has a consider able depth equal to approximately one-third the length of said collar 5 the extent of said circularwall 6 is approximately two-thirds of a circle and the diameter of the partial socket formed thereby is slightly greater than the outside diameter of said collar 5'.

, said axis.

The annular projection 7 forming the bottom wall of said socket provides a shoulder for the engagement and support of the lower end face of the collar or coupling 5 to lift the element 4:, and when said yoke engages said tubular element 4: and its collar 5 as shown in Fig. 1, said yoke and said tubular element cannot be disengaged through any relatively lateral movement of either of said structures. For the purpose of retaining said elements in engagement whentheir relative positions are otherv than that shown in Fig. 1, that is to say, when ment of the tubular element and the yoke respectively so that said collar 5 will readily enter its engaging socket; secondly, to prevent the disassociation or disengagement of said tubular element and' said yoke when said collar is not engaged b said engaging feature.

This last function is necessary for the reason that, at times, when tubular equipment is being handled, especially when it is being pulled from or replaced within a well, it is in a horizontal position, and in such a case should the gap oil the yoke face downwardly, disengagement of the elevator might occur if said yoke were not supplied with means other than said collar engaging feature or socket.

In order that .said latch levers 10 may present no material obstruction or resistance to the entrance of the tubular element into the gap of the yoke, and for the purpose of adapting to automatically engage said tubular element, they are mounted and equipped as shown especially in Fig, 4, as follows:

,The outer end of each side of said yoke, which extends parallel with. the axis thereof, is formed into a housing for the respective latch lever 10 and a rotative hinge-pin 11 therefor, which pin also extends parallel to Each latch is adapted to swing in a horizontal plane perpendicularly or at a right angle to said axis and is rigidly secured to its respective pin' 11 by means of a set screw 12. Surroundingthe upper end of said pin 11 is a spring chamber 13 for the reception of a torsion spring 14, through which spring, said pin extends; one end of said spring is connected in any suitable Way to saidpinll, and the other end thereof to said yoke. Said spring is caused to be normally in torsional tension so that the recoil thereof actuates said pin rotatively, and the thereto attached latch levers into the respective positions shown in Fig. 3 so that the inner ends of said levers are positioned with in the gap of the yoke and are yieldably, spring retained in this position. lVhen a tubular element 4 is entered into the gap of said yoke, the inner ends of said levers will be thereby actuated laterally out of said gap and when said tubular element is in the hoisting position shown in Fig. 3 said latches will be auton' aticallyspring-actuated to their retaining p'osition,'that is, with their inner extremities in juxtaposition to the periphery of said tubular'element (see Fig. 3), so that the elevator is retained in proper service relation thereto, and accidental disengagement therefrom is thereby prevented.

lVh'en the elevator is to be disengaged or removed from said tubular element, the

outer ends of the levers each of which is formed into a manipulating member 10 are manually actuated so as to swing them to their releasing position as shown .in Fig. 2; I

torsion spring M may be readily regulated by loosening the set screw 12 and'turning An elevator of the rigid yoke type adapt ed for use with a tubular element having a coupling collar secured thereto, comprising in combination a rigid yoke having a gap for the reception of said tubular element also afeature consisting of a straight-walled, concentrically-arranged enlargement of the upper rearward'portion of said gap, the j unctional point of the walls of said enlargement with the walls or" said gap forming a square shoulder for contact with the lower end of said collar, the walls. of said enlargement being of s'utlicient extent to engage said collar throughout more than .one hall of its circumference for the purpose set forth, latch-levers pivotally mounted within said yoke at each side of and adjacent the en tranceof said gap so as to be moveable in a plane transversely to the axis of said yoke, a torsion spring arranged to actuate said levers to the position whereat their inner ends are within said gap with their inner- RU L Mon' KiinN.

. r I "lhe degree of tension and recoil of said 

